Transcript

The Direction of Three Hearts

Matthew 26:1-13
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Pastor Randy Smith

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As we enter chapter 26 of Matthew, we are entering the heart of the Christian faith. Up to this point events in the life of Christ were covered in rapid succession. Hardly any time was devoted to His childhood. Major miracles are mentioned in a few sentences. Months of His life are condensed into a couple of paragraphs. But now that we enter chapter 26, we are entering what is called Christ's "Passion." Matthew will take the next three chapters to cover just a few days in the life of our Savior. Mark, Luke and John do the same. Slow motion. The minutia of detail. We get the feeling we are entering the holiest of grounds as we begin to contemplate and meditate and appreciate the purpose for which Jesus came: His death, burial and resurrection.

No other event has caught more attention. No other event has brought greater impact upon our world. In some way or another every person has been confronted with this event and forced to interpret its significance. The facts are clearly presented in the Bible. No other question is more important. How will you personally respond to the Passion of Jesus Christ?

This morning I would like to look at three hearts found in our selected passage. Each of them presented their own interpretation and application of this monumental event.

1. THE HEART OF GOD

First, let's look at the heart of God.

In verse 1 of chapter 26 we read, "When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples." The "these words" was the sermon He delivered on the Mount of Olives that we spent several weeks studying from chapters 24 and 25. When Jesus completed that sermon He said, verse 2, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion."

Before we get to the "crucifixion," we cannot get beyond the "Passover." What is the Passover, and why did Jesus mention it?

You will remember that the Passover began when the Israelites were in Egyptian captivity. Centuries of bondage under Pharaoh until God led them off to the Promised Land. But before they went, due to Pharaoh's hard heart, several plagues came upon the Egyptians, the final one being the angel of death which consumed the firstborn of every family. Yet God spared the Israelites. Blood was to be sprinkled on three parts of the doorway. Reading from Exodus 12:13, "The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt." That day of deliverance was to be perpetually celebrated by the Jews (Ex. 12:14), a day officially known as the "Passover."

As Jesus said in verse 2, this special day of remembrance was approaching ("the Passover is coming"). All would travel to Jerusalem. The city would swell at least ten times beyond its normal population. Each person equipped with a sacrificial lamb. Each person remembering with sacrificial blood that day, by God's grace, that death "passed" over their forefathers.

So was it mere coincidence that Jesus was prepared to lay down His life or as he says in the text, be crucified, on this exact day? Of course not! Was He not the greater Moses to deliver His people from the ultimate bondage (slavery to sin)? Was He not the Lamb of God in its truest sense? Was He not the One who would sacrifice His blood so God could "pass-over" our sin? Was there not tremendous significance that Jesus would die on the Passover as all the events of Israel's Passover were fulfilled in Him? As Paul reiterated in 1 Corinthians 5:7, "For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed."

The sacrifice of Christ was not an afterthought in the heart of God. Jesus was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). The Old Testament prophets predicted that He would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows (Isa. 53:4). That "He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed" (Isa. 53:5). As He said in verse 2, "You know [that] the Son of Man [will be crucified]." "You know" it has to happen this way. Moreover, He had informed His disciples on several occasions that this was the heart of His mission (Mt. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19). Up until this point He survived the many threats on His life, but now the divine time for His crucifixion had arrived. Now He was prepared to consciously and willingly hand Himself over to be as John the Baptist said, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn. 1:29).

What a heart of God! Consider the following with me: The God that we just learned about in the previous section who will judge "all the nations" (Mt. 25:32), the "King" of the universe (Mt. 25:34), would allow Himself to be subjected to a criminal's death of unimaginable pain. The Judge would allow Himself to be judged. Also, the God who was rejected by His own nation and misunderstood by His own disciples would willingly pay the ultimate sacrifice to purchase the salvation of humans who will receive Him. The worthy for the unworthy. The holy for the sinful. Also, the God who created the Passover would condescend to be the Passover Lamb. And while He could have prevented His death, we know that the Passover Lamb is also the Good Shepherd and "the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (Jn. 10:11).

Consider God's heart toward the Passion - the best window into His character and His priorities.

2. THE HEART OF OPPOSITION

In contrast we move to the second point, "The Heart of Opposition."

We have learned how the tension had been building. Many of the people, particularly most of the religious leaders, had had just about enough with Jesus. He had attacked their traditions. He had allowed the children to praise Him. He had attracted their followers. He had raised Lazarus from the dead. He had rebuked them publicly with the harshest of words. They had wanted Jesus dead, but now with unprecedented deliberation and injustice they calculated how they might destroy the Man.

Verses 3 and 4, "Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him."

If we will not love the things of God, our response will be utter hatred toward Jesus Christ. No person can contemplate the demands of Christ and remain indifferent. We either fall at His feet and love Him as the Son of God, or we, like the religious leaders, want Him removed from our lives.

Again, no one is indifferent. And if you believe that is a viable option, just introduce them to the Jesus described in the Bible. His claims are exclusive: "No one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). His words are controversial: "The…Son gives life to whom He wishes" (Jn. 5:21). His expectations are consuming: "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (Mt. 16:24). His identification is divine: "I and the Father are one" (Jn. 10:30). Odds are you won't make it this far before being cut-off. No one can hear these words and walk away indifferent. Indifference toward Jesus was never intended by God as an option. Rightly understood today as it was back then, people will either love Jesus Christ or hate Him. And since they cannot kill Him anymore, they will take their hatred out on His faithful followers. Did not Jesus forewarn us that this is the case (Jn. 15:20)? Jesus threatens those who reject Him.

If our hearts fail to see the glory of the Savior, Jesus will threaten all that we hold dear. The love of man will prevent us from speaking of His name. The love of pleasure will prevent us from sacrificing on His behalf. The love of self will prevent us from surrendering to Him. A death to self is necessary. A total allegiance is required. He confronts all of our false gods and says, "He who is not with Me is against Me" (Mt. 12:30) for "No one can serve two masters" (Mt. 6:24).

The religious leaders were threatened as well. They clearly understood what Jesus was demanding, and they were not willing to concede. Their only option as they saw it was to put Jesus to death. So they schemed and they plotted but little did they realize that God was to use their diabolical intentions to accomplish His will. While they sought to oppose Jesus, they were in turn helping to fulfill the purpose for which He came.

Accept Him or reject Him, there is no escaping the net of God's providence.

As a matter of fact, God's sovereign hand is seen in this account. They planned His death, and according to verse 5 they also determined what they thought was the best timing. "But they were saying, 'Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.'" Yet as we just learned it was God's will that Jesus die during the Passover festival (Mt. 26:2). They said later. God said now. Enter Judas Iscariot. He became the ticket used by God to accelerate their delay. We will learn next week that he presented an offer just too good to pass up.

3. THE HEART DEVOTION

Much opposition. Did anybody get it? Let's move to the third point.

Unfortunately there are few characters that displayed a heart of love and devotion for Jesus Christ during His Passion. Yet while He was displaying His deepest love for the world, we do have in this chapter a rare account of one who displayed her deepest love for Jesus.

According to John's account her name was Mary (Jn. 12:3; cf. 11:12). And while there are a lot of Mary's in the Bible, we are familiar with this Mary. She was the sister of Lazarus and Martha, the one who was found "seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word" (Lk. 10:39). And while this family also lived in Bethany (Jn. 12:1), Matthew says the event took place at the home of "Simon the leper" (Mt. 26:6), one assumed to be now healed of his leprosy. As a matter of fact many believe this party was held to celebrate Jesus' raising of Lazarus and healing of Simon. Of course Jesus was the guest of honor, but only one insignificant lady is mentioned giving Jesus the honor He deserved. And I would like to say her love is not contrasted against the hate of the religious leaders, but in this small account it is contrasted against the indifference of the disciples.

Verse 7 informs us that she "came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table."

Let me see if I can use the other Gospel narratives and recreate this setting. Everybody is enjoying themselves when Mary does something out of the ordinary. At first her actions are private, but soon she has captured the attention of all the party-goers. In the most unpredictable way she pulls out a "very costly" (Mt. 26:7; Mk. 14:3; Jn. 12:3) vial of perfume. The disciples do some quick calculations and value the fragrance at "three hundred denarii" (Mk. 14:5). That's about a year's salary. Mary does not drip the liquid out of the alabaster jar as customary, but breaks the thin neck (Mk. 14:3) and pours it over Jesus' head with the perfume running down to His feet (Jn. 12:3) which she wipes with her hair (Jn. 12:3). John says, "The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume" (Jn. 12:3).

Now for the interpretation of Mary's motives by the onlookers. What was her heart's attitude toward Christ's Passion?

First comes the immediate reaction from our Lord's closest followers: Verse 8, "But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, 'Why this waste?'"

John tells us Judas spearheaded this sentiment (Jn. 12:6), yet it appears the others chimed in as well. Judas probably wanted the money for himself as he would often dip into the Lord's money box (Jn. 12:6). The disciples may have been motivated by another sin: self-righteousness. After all, Jesus did preach a lot about mercy (cf. Mt. 25:31-46). So they say in verse 9, "For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor."

Quite ironic because Scripture reveals little of their compassion, but speaks well of Mary's hospitality. I believe they were all convicted at such a pure and uncalculated heart overflow response to Jesus. And spiritually convicted people often become the greatest, as J.C. Ryle calls them, "cold-hearted fault finders."

It happens in the church. Instead of simply loving the Lord more and growing in our walk with Him, it is much easier to be cynical toward others to defend our own love for carnality. "Why do you waste your time going to church? You don't need to go to a building to worship God." "I am always happiest when I can live according to my own rules and not the rules of somebody else." "What's with all this holiness talk? We all sin, that's what grace is for." "Don't be so legalistic about clothes and entertainment." "You are too heavenly minded to be any earthy good." "You are too fanatical."

Like Mary, it won't take long before someone will ridicule or scorn you because of your love for Jesus Christ. And like Mary that ridicule or scorn may unfortunately come from a follower or followers of Jesus Christ.

May you be encouraged as we now take a look at Jesus' response. Verse 10, "But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, 'Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me.'" What they considered a waste, Jesus considered a "good deed."

Verse 11, "For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me." The window of His physical presence with them was closing. This was a unique opportunity to love and honor Him. Furthermore, all that we do is to be done as an act of worship to Jesus Christ.

As one author said, "Genuine worship is the supreme service a Christian can offer to Christ. There is a time for ministering to the poor, the sick, the naked, and the imprisoned. There is a time for witnessing to the lost and seeking to lead them to the Savior. There is a time for discipling new believers and helping them grow in the faith. There is a time for careful study and teaching of God's Word. But above all else that the Lord requires of His people is their true worship, without which everything else they may do in His name is empty and powerless" (John MacArthur, Matthew 24-28, p. 135).

Verse 12, "For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial." I am led to take this literally. When Jesus went through His final day of agony, I believe the sweet smell of Mary's perfume overshadowed the stench of death.

The disciples never seemed to grasp the Passion until after the resurrection. In a sense it seems that Mary had a profound understanding. Why? After all, wasn't she was the one who was often found "seated at the Lord's feet" and "listening to His word" (Lk. 10:39)? Her knowledge of Jesus increased her love for Jesus. And her love for Jesus was manifested in extravagant acts of devotion. It is only when we rightly get it that we will rightly do it!

The Bible highlights the heart of Mary, a heart that could see Jesus because it was not immersed in self-focus or entangled with sin. And her response to the Passion is the one oftentimes ignored or marginalized by most. Lavish love upon Jesus that is uncalculated and unaffected by the response of others. Never too costly, the giving of her very best and motivated primarily by a desire to worship. I believe the pouring of the expensive perfume was a symbol of a heart that was poured out in gratitude and adoration, a heart that was broken by contemplating its sin in the presence of His forgiveness to release its purest fragrance.

Verse 13, "Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

Mary will forever be remembered for what Jesus describes as a beautiful act. And may you remember that the One who received extravagant worship in Simon's house is upon you today. As He rushed to Mary's defense, the Advocate will rush to yours when you love Him extravagantly despite the critics. Your deeds will be received and remembered. The principle stands true that Christ loves to honor those who honor Him.

So may we not be like the opposition. Furthermore may we not manipulate or fabricate a devotion to Jesus Christ. But may we, like Mary, sit at His feet as He instructs us in the Bible. May we understand His character. May we understand the Passion whereby He gave His live to redeem us from all of our transgressions. And when the Holy Spirit grips our hearts to embrace these realities, our heart will be in line with God's heart. We will be found like Mary loving Him with the sweetest devotion with our eyes focused on His loving sacrifice.